2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
After the veil of sin and self is removed through God’s grace, the Holy Spirit can do a deeper work within our lives, resulting in freedom. Freedom is a powerful motive that has driven people to rise up against tyranny throughout history. Freedom is an important topic for Paul in his letters. In Romans 6-8, he gets to the heart of the issue with freedom from the universal problem of sin. In this chapter, Paul reflects on how the old covenant and the law actually create a form of bondage. In one sense, people seek the glory of God, to experience this glory in their lives. But behind this seeking lay the problems of sin and self. The glory becomes distorted through human effort. Rather than seeking God’s glory, people seek their own glory in rebellion against God. Paul does not bring out the big cannons of this theology in this chapter, but his theology nevertheless is in the background.
The answer to this spiritual bondage, which, by the way, brings bondage in even the simple things of life, is found in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Paul makes the crucial connection between “Lord” and “Spirit” in this verse. In Romans 8:9, Paul writes of the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ.” This is the same Spirit who proceeds from both the Father and the Son. There is such a unity that here he calls the Lord, referring most likely to Christ, with the Spirit. They are the same yet there is a uniqueness in each. Christ came to earth for a period of 33 years. The Spirit is the presence of the Son continually on earth. The Spirit is also the presence of the Father. The Father sent the Son for a time on earth. The Son returned to the Father. Because God is omnipresent, the Spirit has always be present on earth. It is more of a matter of our allowing the Spirit to have sway, influence, and control in our lives. Thus, Scripture calls us to be “filled with the Spirit.”
The Spirit brings freedom. This freedom begins deep within as a spiritual freedom from the control of sin. As we listen to the Spirit’s guidance and grow in our commitment to Christ’s lordship, sin and self have less control over us until we become wholly lost in the love of God. That is our goal. From this place of love, we find freedom in every other area of our lives. Our relationships take on deeper meaning, so much so that we can find joy even in places of abuse and suffering. Our old habits are replaced by new ones that bring wholeness and health. Our plans, schedules, and activities take on new meaning for the glory of God and the growth of God’s kingdom. Freedom is what we long for; we just need to find it in the right place.
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